Advertisement at TV-transmission

ABSTRACT

A device and method for generation of digital advertisement displays in real time in digital TV-transmissions. In such digital TV-transmissions, a digital coding of the image material is made before the transmission is made; this coding compresses the content of the image as much as possible to minimize necessary bandwidth utilization at transmission of the signals. In connection with this coding and by means of pattern recognition, different patterns are identified for predefined objects in the image material, such as for example identifying an object with an unique coloring. Via the pattern identification, the image coder obtains information via a table of what the original object looks like. Also included in the table is information about which advertisement display is to be placed inside the identified object. Thus, starting from the identified object in the image material and the original form of the identified object, the advertisement display is introduced into an image storage in a TV-receiver, and the image material is transformed. TV-viewers in this way see a virtual advertisement message in the TV-transmission.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device and a method for generation ofdigitial advertisement displays in real time at digitalTV-transmissions.

2. Discussion of the Background

Advertisement displays which are utilized in connection with forinstance sport events, which are televised, normally consists of anadvertising message which is applied to a supporting material of paper,plastics, metal etc. The displays therefore normally are notexchangeable during the event itself, but may be exchanged depending onwhich companies that want to have advertisement space at respectiveevent. The total advertisement space therefore, at each specific event,can be said to be restricted to the for that purpose intendedadvertising places. The technical problem the invention relates to is tobring about a device and a method which at digital TV-transmissionsmakes possible one in principle infinite number of advertising messagesat in advance decided places by at transmission utilize digital imageprocessing.

To find out whether the prior art describes and possibly solves thisproblem a preliminary investigation was made at which the followingdocuments were found.

D1: U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,494

D2: U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,455

D3: EP,A2 424 648

D1 describes a device which compresses a set of TV-signals, such as amain program signal and a great number of demographically selectedadvertising messages. The great number of compressed TV-signals arecombined to a combined signal for transmission on one single TV-channel.A TV-receiver which receives the combined signal identifiescharacteristics of a televised viewer, and selects a specific TV-signalfrom the compressed TV-signals from the received combined signaldepending on the characteristics of the viewer.

D2 describes an interactive multimedia system with distributedprocessing of video image information in nodes arranged in a cable TVsystem. The nodes can be used to distribute customer adaptedadvertisement to TV-viewers.

D3 describes a method and a device to transmit demographically selectedTV-advertisement. A first TV-channel includes TV-programs and periodicaladvertisement messages. A second TV-channel includes differentadvertisement messages. Demographical characteristics of a televisedviewer are identified, and selected advertisement messages aretransmitted to said viewer depending on the demographicalcharacteristics of the viewers.

The above mentioned found documents consequently describe the principleto generate virtual advertisement messages at TV-transmissions.

These documents, however, do not solve the above described problemsbecause they do not explicitly describe advertisement messages at sportevents which are arranged at in advance decided places and with inadvance decided sizes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention in addition utilizes a digital image processingtechnology at transmission of advertisement messages which is not at alldescribed in the above mentioned documents.

The aim with the present invention consequently is to solve the abovedescribed problem.

This aim is achieved by means of a device and a method which ischaracterized in that before said TV-transmission the image material iscoded in an image coder, which image coder by recognition of patternidentifies and codes different predefined objects in the image material,at which the image coder, on the basis of said identification of saidpredefined object, via a table obtains information about the relation ofthe sizes of said predefined object, for instance REC 200×150, and whichadvertisement display, for instance Telia, that shall be placed in theplace for the image which corresponds to the place of image of thepredefined object on the screen of just any TV-receiver.

A big commercial advantage of the present invention consequently is thatadvertisement displays in for instance a soccer arena in principle canbe changed just any time during a live TV-transmission of a soccermatch. An operator in this way can sell one and the same advertisementspace to a number of different companies.

Further characteristics of the present invention are given in theindependent patent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the following a detailed description of an embodiment of theinvention is given with reference to the only drawing.

FIG. 1 shows in principle the coding of a predefined object andtransformation of said object to a virtual advertisement display in aTV-viewer's receiver.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following a description of the invention is given with referenceto FIG. 1.

The invention is applicable to a digital TV-transmission (DVB). Atdigital TV-transmission an extensive digital image processing (coding)is made before the transmission of the image material, principally aimedat compressing the content as much as possible in order to reduce thebandwidth of the transmission. The invention is based on that one inconnection with this coding by recognition of pattern identifiesdifferent predefined objects in the image, for instance a display with aunique colour 1. It is in this case actually the colour which isidentified at the coding. Via a table 2, the coder can, starting outfrom identified colour, get information about what the original objectlooks like. It can for instance be a rectangle with the measures 200×150cm. In the table there is also defined the advertisement display whichshall be applied, for instance Telia. On the basis of the identifiedobject in the image storage and the original, the advertisement displaycan be transformed and introduced into the image storage 3. TheTV-viewers in this way will see different virtual advertisement displaysin the TV-transmission 4 depending on the colouring of the predefinedobject.

If, for instance, the colouring has the code “3083” an advertisementdisplay with the text Telia is shown, and if the colouring has the code“3087” an advertisement display with the text “Ericsson” is shown. Theoperator can for instance see to it that the colouring of the predefinedobject changes between the codes “3087” and “3083” so that for instancethe advertisement display “Ericsson” is shown during five minutes,whereas the advertisement display “Telia” is shown during ten minutes.This of course depends on how much advertising time Telia respectiveEricsson is buying from the operator.

The table in the coder can of course be updated by an operator just ashe/she wants, depending on which adveertisement displays that shallappear during the TV-transmission.

The above described is only to be regarded as an advantageous form ofthe present invention, and the extent of protection of the invention isonly defined by what is indicated in the following patent claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. Device for generation of digital advertisementdisplays in real time at digital TV-transmissions, comprising: an imagecoder which is arranged, before said transmission of an image material,to identify and code different predefined objects in said image materialby recognition of a pattern, wherein said image coder, on the basis ofsaid identification of said predefined object, via a table obtainsoriginal dimensions of said predefined object and an advertisementdisplay is placed on an image place which corresponds to a position ofsaid predefined object on the screen of a TV-receiver and said imagecoder upon identification of said predetermined object identifies acoloring of said object and different colorings are coded with differentreference numbers at which said image coder looks for said referencenumber in said table.
 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said tableis arranged in an image storage of said coder.
 3. Device according toclaims 1 or 2, wherein on the basis of the color of the identifiedobject with a specific reference number and original form of said objectan advertisement display is transformed and introduced into the imagestorage.
 4. Device according to claim 1, wherein said table can beupdated depending on which advertisement displays appear during any ofsaid digital TV-transmissions.
 5. Method for generation of digitaladvertisement displays in real time at digital TV-transmissions,comprising the steps of: coding by an image coder an image materialbefore said digital TV-transmission of said image material, includingthe steps of, identifying by pattern recognition predefined objects insaid image material, obtaining, based on said identified predefinedobject and via a table, information about dimensions of said predefinedobject and which advertisement display is to be placed into an imageplace which corresponds to a position of said predefined object on ascreen of a TV-receiver; and transmitting said information by means oftransmission equipment to an image storage of the TV-receiver, afterwhich a wanted specific advertisement display corresponding to theidentified predefined object is shown on a screen of said TV-receiver,wherein, at the step of identifying, a coloring of the predefined objectis identified, at which said image coder on a basis of the coloringobtains said information about the dimensions and information aboutwhich advertisement display to apply and at the step of transmitting, ona basis of said coloring, dimensions, and applied advertisement display,said advertisement display is transformed and introduced into said imagestorage.
 6. Method according to claim 5, wherein said table is providedin a storage.
 7. Method according to claim 5, wherein TV-viewers willsee different virtual advertisement displays during the TV-transmissiondepending on the colouring of said predefined object.
 8. Methodaccording to claim 5, wherein said table is upgraded by an operatordepending on which advertisement displays that shall be shown during theTV-transmission.
 9. Device according to claim 2, wherein said imagecoder at identification of said predefined object identifies thecoloring of said object.
 10. Device according to claim 2, wherein saidtable can be updated just as is wanted by an operator depending on whichadvertisement displays that shall appear during a TV-transmission. 11.Device according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said table can be updatedjust as is wanted by an operator depending on which advertisementdisplays that shall appear during a TV-transmission.
 12. Deviceaccording to claims 1 or 2, wherein said table can be updated just as iswanted by an operator depending on which advertisement displays thatshall appear during a TV-transmission.
 13. Device according to claim 3,wherein said table can be updated just as is wanted by an operatordepending on which advertisement displays that shall appear during aTV-transmission.
 14. Method according to claim 6, wherein atidentification and coding of said predefined object, the coloring of theobject is identified, at which said image coder on the basis ofidentified coloring obtains information of what the original objectlooks like, and which advertisement display that shall be applied. 15.Method according to claim 6, wherein on the basis of said identifiedobject in the storage, for instance “3083”, and original form saidadvertisement display is transformed and introduced into said imagestorage.
 16. Method according to claims 5 or 6, wherein on the basis ofsaid identified object in the storage, for instance “3083”, and originalform, for instance said advertisement display is transformed andintroduced into said image storage.
 17. Device for generation of digitaladvertisement displays in real time at digital TV-transmissions,comprising: an image coder configured, before said transmission of adigital image material, to identify and code different predefinedobjects in said digital image material by pattern recognition and, onidentification of said predefined object, to obtain via a tableinformation about original dimensions of said predefined object andabout which advertisement display is placed into an image place whichcorresponds to a position of said predefined object on a screen of aTV-receiver; and transmission equipment configured to transmit digitallysaid information to an image storage of a TV-receiver such that aspecific advertisement corresponding to an identified predeterminedobject is shown on a screen of said TV-receiver.
 18. Device according toclaim 17, wherein said image coder comprises a storage including saidtable.
 19. Device according to claim 18, wherein the storage comprises aRAM.
 20. Device according to claims 17 or 18, wherein said image coderat identification of said predefined object is configured to identifythe coloring of said predefined object.
 21. Method for generation ofdigital advertisement displays in real time at digital TV-transmissions,comprising the steps of: coding an image material before said digitalTV-transmission of a said image material; identifying by patternrecognition different predefined objects in said image material;obtaining, on the basis of said identified predefined objects and atable, information about dimensions of said predefined objects and aboutwhich advertisement display is placed into an image place whichcorresponds to a position of one of said predefined objects on a screenof a TV-receiver; transmitting digitally by means of transmissionequipment said information to an image storage of the TV-receiver; anddisplaying the advertisement display inside said one of said predefinedobjects on a screen of said TV-receiver.
 22. Method according to claim21, wherein the step of obtaining comprises the step of: providing saidtable in a storage.
 23. Method according to claim 22, wherein the stepof providing said table comprises the step of: providing a RAM-storagein said image coder.